Thought I Was Getting An Apisto. Borellii ...

[Aphotic Phoenix]

I've been wanting to get some Apistos for a while now, and was quite tickled when one of my LFS shops got in a small batch Apistos labeled A. borellii... with very lovely iridescent blue markings on the head/face. I had looked into A. borellii before because they were one of the Apisto species that is supposed to tolerate harder water than some other species, and had a basic idea of their color characteristics (yellow face vs. opal), but considering how common it is for fish to not show their best colors in the LFS I thought perhaps these just weren't showing their true colors or it was a color variant I hadn't seen before. The problem was they were being kept with prawns. Most if not all had suffered some serious fin tears, and at least one had a deformity in it's back (looked like something had taken a big bite out if it). I pointed out the fin damage and the large prawns were removed. I checked in a few more times and finally when they were down to the last one I caved and purchased it since it was a rather healthy looking one with the intention of putting it in my apisto tank once it was all set up. Now however I'm starting to think that this is not an A. borellii, but instead a rumored hybrid called A. sp. "Steelblue" which is noted by several sources as having a high deformity rate (which would explain the deformed one seen before).

According to one person on the Apistogramma.com forums the way to tell the difference is that A. sp. "Steelblue" will have a spotted pattern on the caudal fin, while A. borellii will not. Unfortunately it's late at night so I won't be able to check until morning, but I'm thinking it's quite possible that this fish did in fact has some spots on the caudal fin. Is anyone else familiar enough with A. borellii to give me other points of reference to check? Please keep in mind that since I keep my "tester" SA cichlids in hard water...coloration isn't the best reference.

If the LFS sold you a mislabeled fish...what would you do? I do feel it is my duty to inform them that they are receiving mislabeled fish from their transhipper (this isn't the first time...all the LFS's get C. Aeneus mislabeled as B. Splendens), but I'm kinda at a loss on if I should keep it or return it. It's a lovely fish, and I hate to return any fish that I've purchased, but at the same time it was misrepresented and therefore I'll have to plan alternate housing than originally intended...

 

[thegnu]

Ive seen these in the shops and it happens a lot. I think they come from Singapore and they are a high breed and they only export male fish so i guess people cant breed them and its just ridiculous but they are actualy a nice looking fish but our morals could turn us against it. A. borellii isnt very often seen in the shops although they are easier to keep although not so robust as other Apistogramma. A. borellii have (for the size of the fish) long flowing Dorsal, Anal and ventral fins and more of a uniform yellow and blue colour